Exploring stories one book at a time

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They’d love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

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This weeks Top Ten topic is …

Top Ten Eight 2014 Release I’m Dying To Read

At the moment my list consists of just eight books, which is mainly down to the fact that a) my tbr pile is HUGE and b) I haven’t thought that far ahead yet. I’m too busy thinking up ideas for Christmas gifts for the family, that I haven’t really been keeping an eye on what my fave authors will be releasing in 2014 – unless they’ve been shouting about it. Blurbs and covers have been taken from Goodreads.com and the dates given below were taken from Amazon.co.uk

So here are the list of the eight books/authors that have made it onto my radar:

1. Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3) by Veronica Rossi (released: 6th February 2014) [YA]

The earth-shattering conclusion to Veronica Rossi’s “masterpiece” Under the Never Sky trilogy and sequel to the New York Times bestselling Through the Ever Night (Examiner.com).

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it’s time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won’t even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn’t just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he’s also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

Since Merit was turned into a vampire, and the protector of Chicago’s Cadogan House, it’s been a wild ride. She and Master vampire Ethan Sullivan have helped make Cadogan’s vampires the strongest in North America, and forged ties with paranormal folk of all breeds and creeds, living or dead…or both.

But now those alliances are about to be tested. A strange and twisted magic has ripped through the North American Central Pack, and Merit’s closest friends are caught in the crosshairs. Gabriel Keene, the Pack Apex, looks to Merit and Ethan for help. But who—or what—could possibly be powerful enough to out-magic a shifter?

Merit is about to go toe to toe, and cold steel to cold heart, to find out.

3. The Redemption of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen (released 13th February 2014) [NA]

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden comes an emotional new story about two troubled souls sharing one all-encompassing love . . .

THE REDEMPTION OF CALLIE & KAYDEN

The dark secret Kayden has kept hidden for years is finally out. Worse, he’s facing charges for battery. The only way to clear his name is for Callie to speak up-something he’ll never ask her to do. Instead, he’ll do whatever he must to protect her . . . even if it means letting go of the only girl he’s ever loved.

Callie knows Kayden is going back to his dark place and desperately wants to save him. But that means facing her greatest fear and admitting her own painful secrets aloud. The thought of breaking her silence terrifies her-but not as much as the thought of losing Kayden forever.

Deep in her heart, Callie knows the time has come for her and Kayden to forget the pain of the past. With the help of her friends Seth and Luke she makes a plan to show Kayden the life they could have. But can she convince him they can make a fresh start together-or is she already too late?

Witch and day-walking demon Rachel Morgan has managed to save the demonic ever after from shrinking, but at a high cost. Now strange magic is attacking Cincinnati and the Hollows, causing spells to backfire or go horribly wrong, and the truce between the races, between Inderlander and human, is shattering.

Rachel must stop the occurrences before the undead vampire masters who keep the rest of the undead under control are lost and it becomes all-out supernatural war. However, the only way to do so is through the ancient elven wild magic, which carries its own perils.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs’s Mercy Thompson series has been hailed as “one of the best” (Fiction Vixen). Now, Mercy must deal with an unwanted guest—one that brings a threat unlike anything she’s ever known.

An unexpected phone call heralds a new challenge for Mercy. Her mate Adam’s ex-wife is in trouble, on the run from her new boyfriend. Adam isn’t the kind of man to turn away a person in need—and Mercy knows it. But with Christy holed up in Adam’s house, Mercy can’t shake the feeling that something about the situation isn’t right.

Soon, her suspicions are confirmed when she learns that Christy has the farthest thing from good intentions. She wants Adam back and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen, including turning Adam’s pack against Mercy.

Mercy isn’t about to step down without a fight, but there’s a more dangerous threat circling. Christy’s ex is more than a bad man—in fact, he may not be human at all. As the bodies start piling up, Mercy must put her personal troubles aside to face a creature with the power to tear her whole world apart.

After winning the trust of the terra indigene residing in the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring out what it means to live among them. As a human, Meg should be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra sangue make her something more.

The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murders of both species in nearby cities. So when Meg has a dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard—Lakeside’s shape-shifting leader—wonders whether their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or of a future threat.

As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently, trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard. Now the Others and the handful of humans residing there must work together to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet—and stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all.

US edition cover (?)

7. A Shiver of Light by Laurell K. Hamilton (released 3rd June 2014)

No summary yet, which is hardly surprising as Hamilton is still writing this. I’m really looking forward to getting back into Merry’s world and finding out what is going on with her and her guys. Plus, fae politics.

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8. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (released 12th July 2014) [YA]

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

I’m sure my 2014 tbr pile will grow, but those are probably the ones I am most looking forward to. Most of them are adult which will be a change from this year as most of the books I’ve read have been YA I think.

Those were the Top Eight 2014 Releases I’m Dying to Read. What books in 2014 are you looking forward to? Let me know in the comments below, or link back to your Top Ten post so I can see what makes your list.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They’d love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

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This weeks Top Ten topic is …

Top Ten Eight Things I Am Thankful For (could be bookish or not — up to you)

This is going to be both bookish and non-bookish.

1. My parents

Without my parents I wouldn’t have this blog, or the many brilliant books that line my shelves. Plus they’re pretty awesome even without doing all that.

2. Lucky

My dog who, if you read my Sunday post you will know, was VERY ill over the weekend. I thought I was going to lose him. Thankfully he’s on the mend.

3. My MacBook Pro

Without it I would be hard pushed to keep on top of both my blog posts and emails. My phone is brilliant for Twitter, but I don’t really want to use it for anything more complicated.

4. My Books

Books are awesome 😉

5. The Book Blogging Community

You guys are unbelievably brilliant. I’ve really enjoyed being a member of you for the past two years. I know I’m one of the quieter members, but I do notice what’s going on – even if I don’t always participate.

6. WordPress

I don’t know a lot of HTML or CCS, so WordPress quite literally saves me and makes this blog look the way it does. I also find it, on the whole, quite user-friendly. I don’t know what I would do without it.

7. Chocolate

For the bad days. Need I say more?

8. Holidays

I don’t just mean vacations, but also things like Christmas. Either way I get to spend time with my family 🙂

Those were the Top Ten Things I Am Thankful For. What are you thankful for? Let me know in the comments below, or link back to your Top Ten post so I can see what makes your list.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They’d love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

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This weeks Top Ten topic is …

Top Ten Books I’d Recommend To X Person (your choice — could be to your mom, to a reluctant male reader, to your teenage sister, to dog lover’s, to sports lovers, etc.)

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Hmm… I’m thinking X Person is going to be People Who Aren’t Fond of Romance Books. All of the books listed below will contain romance, but it won’t be the be all and end all of the book.

1. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

…because Sydney is a very practical and realistic person. She doesn’t go into a situation without looking at the pros and cons, but don’t think that makes her risk averse and boring. She’s one of the bravest, most kick-ass characters I’ve read in YA fiction.

Also, because the romance of the series is very much on the back-burner. The same is true of the VAMPIRE ACADEMY series from which this is a spin-off, but I have a soft spot for this book and series.

2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

…because this book will break your heart, but it will also make you laugh and go ‘aww’. It feels very real. Green handles the topic with great compassion; he shows the highs and the lows.

3. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

…because it will surprise you. If you’re not a fan of romance based books, and because of that you’ve been avoiding this book – stop. Seriously. This book is as much about learning who you are, and being braver than you think you are, as it is about teh romance.

4. The Pleasures of Autumn by Evie Hunter (Adult)

…because although sex scenes play a prominent role in this book, there is still an actual plot. For real. And it’s an interesting and complex one too.

5. Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

…because Alanna doesn’t let love stop her or define her. She wants to prove that she can be a knight, even though as a Lady she should be shipped off to the convent to learn how to be a wife. The romance doesn’t really kick in until later books though, as Alanna is twelve when we first meet her, but when it does make an appearance it adds something to the plot in my opinion.

6. Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison (Adult)

…because love comes in many forms. Also, romance is never really a major plot point in this series, though it hums along happily in the background. This book and series focuses more on survival and friendship.

7. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

…because honestly life threatening situations don’t equal hearts and flowers. I know it’s a shock. This is one dystopian YA where the romance isn’t even a third thought. It’s very much about survival.

8. Falling to Ash by Karen Mahoney

…because you’re never quiet sure if (as the reader) your reading too much into the situation. There’s only one book published in this series so far (and a short story) so things are kind of up in the air, but Mahoney hints at interesting possibilities.

9. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne-Jones

…because love isn’t all hearts and flowers, despite what most romantic fiction would have us think. Romance doesn’t even occur to Sophie – that’s for her sisters, who she loves dearly. This book is also fun to read. Wynne-Jones creates a really interesting world and story.

10. White Cat by Holly Black

…because Cassel has to work for the romance. He’s made some mistakes in the past that have costs he doesn’t realise. The romance is on the whole on the back burner with this series, as it’s more about the mob but when it does make an appearance Black creates a good balance.

Those were my Top Ten Books for X Person. What books that contain romance would you recommend to those who aren’t fans of the romance genre? Let me know in the comments below, or link back to your Top Ten post so I can see what makes your list.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They’d love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

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This weeks Top Ten topic is …

Top Ten Four Covers I Wish I Could Redesign

This isn’t really a topic I find particularly inspiring, because generally I don’t pick up books whose covers I don’t like/don’t interest me. I’m also not great with design. So I’m somewhat stumped by how to approach this topic… Oh well, here goes.

Unspoken US cover

Unspoken UK cover

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

The original US version of this book was absolutely gorgeous, and then I saw the UK cover… Yeah, not my cup of tea. There’s no real gothic feel to it, or anything. I do like that it shows an accurate representation of Kami though.

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Seraphina US cover

Seraphina UK cover

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

When I first heard of this book, and saw the US cover I was sold. It looked amazing. Then I got a look at the UK cover, and it just didn’t work for me. The book felt entirely too modern.

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Angel Dust by Sarah Mussi

I’m not totally sure what doesn’t work about this cover for me, but it just feels wrong. I think the girl on the cover is supposed to be the main character, but she doesn’t really fit with my image from the book. It would have been kinda cool to have an angelic figure with that background though.

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Drink Deep by Chloe Neill

On the whole I think the covers of these books are quiet well done, but sometimes the cover model looks like she doesn’t quite know how to handle the swords she is holding. This cover is a case in point.

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Those were my Top Ten Four Covers I Wish I Could Redesign. What books do you want to redesign the covers of? Let me know in the comments below, or link back to your Top Ten post so I can see what makes your list.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They’d love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

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This weeks Top Ten topic is …

Top Ten Best Books to Read for Hallowe’en

All Hallows’ Eve isn’t a holiday that’s celebrated much in the UK, at least where I live. The most that will happen is people will carve some pumpkins and maybe eat a toffee apple or two. So this was actually quite an interesting topic to do. You can probably tell from some of my picks what decade I grew up in. My picks include both Young Adult and Adult books. All book blurbs and covers are taken from Goodreads.com

Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles #1) by Anne Rice

In a darkened room a young man sits telling the macabre and eerie story of his life – the story of a vampire, gifted with eternal life, cursed with an exquisite craving for human blood. Anne Rice’s compulsively readable novel is arguably the most celebrated work of vampire fiction since Bram Stoker’s Dracula was published in 1897. As the Washington Post said on its first publication, it is a ‘thrilling, strikingly original work of the imagination . . . sometimes horrible, sometimes beautiful, always unforgettable’.

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Book of Shadows (Wicca #1) by Cate Tiernan (YA)

Something is happening to me that I don’t understand. I see things, feel things in a new way. I can do things normal people can’t do. Powerful things. Magickal things. It scares me. I never chose to learn witchcraft. But now witchcraft is choosing me.

Sixteen-year-old Morgan is not who she thought she was. But in that case, who is she?

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The Blooding by Patricia Windsor (YA)

Maris’ summer job as an au pair in England starts out well. But when she discovers the truth about her employer, the truth about his transformations and his plans for her, Maris must make the most terrifying decision of her life.

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The Hunter (The Forbidden Game #1) by L. J. Smith (YA)

When Jenny Thorton and her friends open the mysterious white box given to her by Julian, they discover a mysterious game and enter a house of horrors full of their worst nightmares.

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Graveminder by Melissa Marr

Three sips to mind the dead . . .

Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the attention her grandmother Maylene bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the small town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn’t a funeral that Maylene didn’t attend, and at each one Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: She took three sips from a silver flask and spoke the words “Sleep well, and stay where I put you.”

Now Maylene is dead, and Bek must go back to the place she left a decade earlier. She soon discovers that Claysville is not just the sleepy town she remembers, and that Maylene had good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in Claysville the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected; beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D. If the dead are not properly cared for, they will come back to satiate themselves with food, drink, and stories from the land of the living. Only the Graveminder, by tradition a Barrow woman, and her Undertaker—in this case Byron Montgomery, with whom Bek shares a complicated past—can set things right once the dead begin to walk.

Although she is still grieving for Maylene, Rebekkah will soon find that she has more than a funeral to attend to in Claysville, and that what awaits her may be far worse: dark secrets, a centuries-old bargain, a romance that still haunts her, and a frightening new responsibility—to stop a monster and put the dead to rest where they belong.

Sabriel (Abhorsen #1) by Garth Nix (YA)

Sent to a boarding school in Ancelstierre as a young child, Sabriel has had little experience with the random power of Free Magic or the Dead who refuse to stay dead in the Old Kingdom. But during her final semester, her father, the Abhorsen, goes missing, and Sabriel knows she must enter the Old Kingdom to find him. She soon finds companions in Mogget, a cat whose aloof manner barely conceals its malevolent spirit, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage long imprisoned by magic, now free in body but still trapped by painful memories. As the three travel deep into the Old Kingdom, threats mount on all sides. And every step brings them closer to a battle that will pit them against the true forces of life and death—and bring Sabriel face-to-face with her own destiny.

With Sabriel, the first installment in the Abhorsen trilogy, Garth Nix exploded onto the fantasy scene as a rising star, in a novel that takes readers to a world where the line between the living and the dead isn’t always clear—and sometimes disappears altogether.

Deadly Hemlock (Hemlock #1) by Kathleen Peacock (YA)

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows #1) by Kim Harrison

Forty years ago a genetically engineered virus killed half of the world’s human population and exposed creatures of dreams and nightmares that had, until then, lived in secret alongside humanity.

Rachel Morgan is a runner with the Inderland Runner Services, apprehending criminals through out modern-day Cincinnati. She is also a witch.

Used to confronting criminal vampires, dark witches and homicidal werewolves, Rachel’s latest assignments – apprehending cable-stealing magic students and tax-evading leprechauns – have prompted her to break her thirty-year contract with the I.S. and start her own runner agency.

But no one quits the I.S.

Marked for death, Rachel is a dead witch walking unless she can appease her former employers and pay off her contract by exposing the city’s most prominent citizen as a drug lord. But making an enemy of the ambiguous Trent Kalamack proves even more deadly than leaving the I.S.

The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater (YA)

Blue has spent the majority of her sixteen years being told that if she kisses her true love, he will die. When Blue meets Gansey’s spirit on the corpse road she knows there is only one reason why – either he is her true love or she has killed him.

Determined to find out the truth, Blue becomes involved with the Raven Boys, four boys from the local private school (lead by Gansey) who are on a quest to discover Glendower – a lost ancient Welsh King who is buried somewhere along the Virginia ley line. Whoever finds him will be granted a supernatural favour.

Never before has Blue felt such magic around her. But is Gansey her true love? She can’t imagine a time she would feel like that, and she is adamant not to be the reason for his death. Where will fate lead them?

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She’s quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn’t get out much. Not because she’s not pretty. She is. It’s just that, well, Sookie has this sort of “disability.” She can read minds. And that doesn’t make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He’s tall, dark, handsome–and Sookie can’t hear a word he’s thinking. He’s exactly the type of guy she’s been waiting for all her life….

But Bill has a disability of his own: He’s a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of–big surprise–murder. And when one of Sookie’s coworkers is killed, she fears she’s next….

Those were my Top Ten Best Books to Read for Hallowe’en. What books do you read to get you in the Hallowe’en spirit? Let me know in the comments below, or link back to your Top Ten post so I can see what makes your list.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They’d love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

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This weeks Top Ten topic is …

Top Ten Books I Was “Forced” to Read

I’m going to do a list of books I was “forced” to read but ended up liking or thought was okay, or you’ll just end up with an essay about how much I despise ENDURING LOVE – and nobody wants that! Or how everyone lied, Shakespeare’s ROMEO & JULIET is NOT a love story!

Image taken from WallsOfText’s etsy post. You can buy the above image as a wall vinyl by clicking on the image above. Used without permission will remove on request.

*coughs* Anyway, on with my Top Ten…

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

This is one of the books that was required reading for my English class during Secondary School (when I was between 12 and 16). I’m pretty sure it was one of the books I read around SATs year, so I was probably 14 when I read this in class. I thought I would absolutely loathe it, but I really enjoyed it. So much so that I borrowed the rest of the series from the school library.

To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

I think this was a required reading book for my English class around the same time as ROLL OF THUNDER, maybe a year later. Again I really enjoyed this book, even if it did take us forever to get through it – I’m pretty sure we couldn’t take the book out of the classroom. The film was pretty good too.

The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

I read this right before THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING came out in cinemas. I’d heard of the book before because my Dad is a huge fan, but it looked like such a thick book I had no interest in reading it. Then I saw the trailer for the first film, and I had to go and watch it. Dad wouldn’t let me see the film unless I’d read the book, so I ended up reading the book and loving it.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (YA)

As I’m sure you’ll remember this was BIG in the book blogger verse. It seemed like everyone had read it. I still wasn’t sold, but then I saw the film and had to give the book a go. I should have listened. It was brilliant.

Mortal Instruments by Philip Reeve (YA)

This was required reading for my Children’s Literature course which I took with the OU. Whilst I liked steampunk fashion, I wasn’t too sure about a steampunk book. Sci-Fi books aren’t really my cup of tea, and I thought this book might be like that. I was wrong. It was a fun read.

Regeneration by Pat Barker

This was required reading for my A-Level English Lit. We did War Poetry, and we also had to read some War books. This was one of the books I had to read, and it was actually quite entertaining. Sad, but a brilliant read.

Little Women

Another book I was required reading for the Children’s Literature. I didn’t think I would like it, but I kinda did. I won’t be reading the next book, but this one was an enjoyable read.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (YA)

Another book that blew up and everyone seemed to have read.

Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton

This book and series was actually recommended to me by a friend who was into vampire books. Totally glad I gave it a shot!

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

This book/series was gushed about by a friend on their blog, It sounded interesting, so I gave it a shot and it clicked. Really love this series.

Those were my Top Ten Books I Was “Forced” to Read. What books were you “forced” to read and ended up liking? Let me know in the comments below, or link back to your Top Ten post so I can see what makes your list.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They’d love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

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This weeks Top Ten topic is …

Top Ten Book Turn-Offs

So I can get ten in total, I’m going to split this list into ones that mean I don’t pick up and book and ones that mean I stop reading a book. I could probably do ten for each BUT I would have had to write this post a couple of weeks in advance.

Five Turn-Offs That Mean I Won’t Pick Up A Book

Second Person Narration. I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand second person narration. I’m sure there are some truly excellent examples of it and brilliant stories told in this format but it is not for me.

The new [insert book name here]. You can see me moan about it more here, but let’s just say I almost certainly won’t be reading that book.

The cover. I’m sorry, but it’s true. If I don’t like the cover then I won’t pick up the book. I know I’m probably missing out on a lot of great stories this way, although maybe not because I will give it a go if a blogger I follow likes it, but the cover of a book is important to me. It doesn’t have to be pretty, but it has to tell me something about the book: I need to get a feel for what the story might me like.

Author behaviour. I don’t want to buy (and therefore support) author’s whose political views or behaviour I completely disagree with. If I hear that an author believes X or has said Y then I just won’t pick up their books. Yes, it does mean that I have missed out on some potentially good books from what fellow reviewers have said but in my opinion that’s a small price to pay.

When every blogger seems to love a book. This might seem odd, but honestly it makes me a little suspicious. Surely there must be at least one person who doesn’t like the book? And, what if I don’t like it – what if it doesn’t live up to the expectations I’ve got after reading all those brilliant reviews? I find it hard to believe I won’t come away disappointed. (There have been some exceptions to this rule though, like TFiOS which I found totally as brilliant as everyone was saying.)

Five Turn-Offs That Mean I Stop Reading A Book

When the author writes something that is contrary to the characterization/world-building. I’m sure everyone’s had experience of this at some point. There you are happily reading a book in which the main character acts a certain way, then something happens and said main character goes and does something that is completely out of character to move the plot forward. I’m happy to suspend my disbelief about almost anything, but there has to be a certain logic to it.

When the story is vastly different from the book’s blurb. This isn’t always a turn-off, but I hate it when I get suckered into reading something that I wouldn’t have normally picked up. To be fair it rarely happens as I usually read the first chapter just to make sure, but this can be tricky to do when you buy the book online.

The romance is too icky-sicky. This is totally a personal thing, but unless I choose to read a romance book I don’t really want to read about an over the top, all glitter and stars, romance because frankly it detracts from the plot. I like subtle romance, especially if it’s not the book’s main genre.

Too graphic. I don’t mind a little bit of blood and violence, or heck a bit of torture but I do not want to read about it in graphic detail. It’s why I won’t read horror stories, and I’m careful about the crime books I read.

I’m bored. I’m not sure if this really counts as a turn-off, but it’s true. If I find I’m bored when I’m reading a book then I won’t continue it any further.

Those were my Top Ten Book Turn-Offs. What turns you off from a book? Let me know in the comments below, or link back to your Top Ten post so I can see what makes your list.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They’d love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

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This weeks Top Ten topic is …

Top Ten Nine Best Sequels Ever

In no particular order…

The Protector of the Small quartet by Tamora Pierce (YA)

It’s ten years since royal decree permitted girls to train as knights. No one applied – until now. Keladry of Mindelan is determined to follow in the footsteps of the nation’s greatest legend: Alanna, Lioness of Tortall. She’s in for a nasty surprise.

The royal training master, Lord Wyldon of Cavall, thinks girls should stick to embroidery. He will take her for one year only – on probation. If Keladry doesn’t meet his exacting standards, she’s out.

It seems unfair. Keladry knows she’s equal to any of the boys, but how can she hope to succeed when Lord Wyldon’s mind is already made up?

THE PROTECTOR OF THE SMALL series is an indirect sequel to THE SONG OF THE LIONESS, which is one of my favourite series ever. I really like the way that Pierce continues the story of noble ladies fighting not to be seen as weak, and to become Lady Knights.

The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice

Once an aristocrat in the heady days of pre-revolutionary France, now Lestat is a rock star in the demonic, shimmering 1980s. He rushes through the centuries in search of others like him, seeking answers to the mystery of his terrifying existence.

THE VAMPIRE LESTAT is the second book in THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES. I enjoyed the first book, but I loved hearing Lestat’s voice for the first time in this book. This series (specifically the first three books) helped to cement my love of the vampire genre.

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Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead (YA)

Sydney protects vampire secrets – and human lives.

Sydney belongs to a secret group who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the world of humans and vampires.

But when Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, she fears she’s still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. What unfolds is far worse. The sister of Moroi queen Lissa Dragomir is in mortal danger, and goes into hiding. Now Sydney must act as her protector.

The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one. . .

I actually read the first book of the BLOODLINES series before I started reading the VAMPIRE ACADEMY series, so it’s a bit of a cheat BUT I became instantly hooked and it made me go back and read the first series. Love the take on vampires.

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire (NA)

Travis Maddox lost his mother when he was very young. Her parting advice? Love hard. . .Fight harder . . .

Travis ‘Mad Dog’ Maddox is an underground fighter, from a family of tough older brothers. The original Bad Boy, he takes a different girl home every night. That is, until he meets Abby Abernathy . . .

Notorious around campus for his reputation with women, it is no surprise when Abby refuses Travis’s advances; the best she will offer him is friendship. However, Travis is determined to fight his way into her heart . . .

I know this series isn’t everyone’s cup of tea BUT I enjoyed reading it. The relationship between Abby and Travis isn’t exactly healthy, but I don’t think it crosses the line (although some people do, and I totally respect that). This series made me try other books in the New Adult genre.

The Malloreon quartet by David Eddings

Warned by the prophecy that a new and greater danger threatens the lands of the west, Garion, Belgarath and Polgara must begin another quest to save the lands from great evil.

Three years have passed since Garion’s killing of the evil god Torak and his marriage to Ce’Nedra. He is now Overlord of the West, slowly learning how to cope with the duties of a king and to overcome the difficulties within his marriage.

When the Orb of Aldur warns Garion to ‘Beware Zandramas!’ the Voice of Prophecy reveals that somewhere in the unknown land of the East the Dark Prophecy still exists and that great new dangers threaten.

While Belgarath and Garion seek to uncover the nature of this threat, Garion’s baby son is kidnapped. All evidence points to the loathsome Bear-cult, which has gained power once more, and Garion leads an army bent on its destruction. But there are even more sinister forces at work, and Garion and his followers must look towards the malign and mysterious evil of Zandramas. Their quest must begin again.

THUS BEGINS BOOK ONE OF THE MALLOREON

The sequel to THE BELGARIAD, this is the second series in a really epic fantasy. I really enjoyed it. I think it was the third series by Eddings I read, and yes he is a tad repetitive but I actually enjoyed that.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (YA)

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit – the more sparkly, more fun, more wild – the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighbourhood.

When Cricket – a gifted inventor – steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

This could be read separately to ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS and still enjoyed, and it doesn’t really carry on the story of the first book but I still think of it as a sequel because the two books are linked.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth (YA)

I HAVE DONE BAD THINGS. I CAN’T TAKE THEM BACK, AND THEY ARE PART OF WHO I AM.

Tris has survived a brutal attack on her former home and family. But she has paid a terrible price. Wracked by grief and guilt, she becomes even more reckless as she struggles to accept her new future.

Yet if Tris wants to uncover the truth about her world, she must be stronger than ever . . . because more shocking choices and sacrifices lie ahead.

I really enjoyed both DIVERGENT and INSURGENT. I think in this book Roth does a brilliant job of continuing the story and building the tension.

The Iron Fey – Call of The Forgotten by Julie Kagawa (YA)

DON’T LOOK AT THEM
DON’T SPEAK OF THEM
NEVER ENTER THEIR WORLD

Those are the rules that Ethan Chase live by when it comes to the dark fairies that robbed him of his sister.

But they are still on his trail and Ethan can’t fight fate forever.

Now the deadly fey are a his school, colliding with his real life, Ethan will sacrifice everything to keep his mortal friends safe, even if it means becoming entangled in the world he’s spent his whole life trying to deny.

His destiny and birthright are calling.

And now their’s no ESCAPE.

I really like the way that Kagawa builds upon the previous series with this one. It’s kinda cheating because I’ve only read the first book – the second isn’t published yet, I think – but I’m still including it because of how Kagawa utilizes the previous series in this one.

The Darkness Rising by Kelley Armstrong (YA)

Maya Delaney has always felt a close bond with nature. The woods around her home are a much-loved sanctuary – and the pawprint birthmark on her hip feels like a sign that she belongs.

But then strange things begin to happen in the tiny medical-research town of Salmon Creek. A young girl drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake. Mountain lions appear around Maya’s home, and won’t go away. Her best friend Daniel starts experiencing bad vibes about certain people and things. One of those people is Rafe – the new bad boy in town. What is he hiding – and why is he suddenly so interested in Maya…?

THE DARKEST POWERS and THE DARKNESS RISING are two inter-linking series, though it’s not really explicit until the final book of the second series. They both have two different sets of main characters, but the story arcs end up linking together in an epic climax. Both YA series are set in the same world as Armstrong’s adult series WOMEN OF THE OTHERWORLD, so in my personal opinion it’s kind of an epic sequel.

Those were my Top Nine Best Sequels Ever. What books would you consider the “best sequels ever”? Let me know in the comments below, or link back to your Top Ten post so I can see what makes your list.

I have also just joined BookLikes, and you can find me here. Feel free to add me if you are also a member of the site.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They’d love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

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This weeks Top Ten topic is …

Top Ten Books On My Fall Autumn 2013 TBR List

I’m going to split this list I think between books I want to read this autumn and books that are released this autumn (September 1st – November 30th). All blurbs are taken from Goodreads.com and all release dates are taken from Amazon.co.uk. Please be aware that THIS POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS as quite a few of ths books are sequels/part of a series so the blurbs may spoil earlier books.

First, books that are released this autumn I want to get hold of…

1. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black (released September 3rd)

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.

2. The Dream Thieves (The Ravenboys #2) by Maggie Stiefvater (released September 18th)

The second installment in the all-new series from the masterful, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater!

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after…

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3. Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth (released October 22nd)

One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

4. The Iron Traitor (Call of the Forgotten #2) by Julie Kagawa (released November 1st)

In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice.

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as “normal” as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for-his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he’s forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, “normal” simply isn’t to be. For Ethan’s nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan’s and Keirran’s fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan’s next choice may decide the fate of them all.

The second in the gripping crime trilogy with a hint of supernatural from Kathleen Peacock has the same great mix of page-turning action scenes and heady romance.

Kyle is still on the run, despite Mac’s best efforts to track him down and bring him home. But when they finally find themselves back together, it’s not in the best of circumstances. Trapped in a werewolf prison camp where inmates keep disappearing and not returning, Mac knows that something sinister is happening, but can they find out the truth? And with Jason still sure of his own feelings for Mac, will she start to doubt her own for Kyle?

In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn’t over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there’s still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this thrilling fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

Second, books I want to read this autumn that are already on my shelf…

1. Omens (Cainsville #1) by Kelley Armstrong

Twenty-four-year-old Olivia Taylor Jones has the perfect life. The only daughter of a wealthy, prominent Chicago family, she has an Ivy League education, pursues volunteerism and philanthropy, and is engaged to a handsome young tech firm CEO with political ambitions.

But Olivia’s world is shattered when she learns that she’s adopted. Her real parents? Todd and Pamela Larsen, notorious serial killers serving a life sentence. When the news brings a maelstrom of unwanted publicity to her adopted family and fiancé, Olivia decides to find out the truth about the Larsens.

Olivia ends up in the small town of Cainsville, Illinois, an old and cloistered community that takes a particular interest in both Olivia and her efforts to uncover her birth parents’ past.

Aided by her mother’s former lawyer, Gabriel Walsh, Olivia focuses on the Larsens’ last crime, the one her birth mother swears will prove their innocence. But as she and Gabriel start investigating the case, Olivia finds herself drawing on abilities that have remained hidden since her childhood, gifts that make her both a valuable addition to Cainsville and deeply vulnerable to unknown enemies. Because there are darker secrets behind her new home, and powers lurking in the shadows that have their own plans for her.

2. The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2) by Julie Kagawa

In Allison Sekemoto’s world, there is one rule left: Blood calls to blood

She has done the unthinkable: died so that she might continue to live. Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie’s birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever-and possibly end human and vampire existence.

There’s a new plague on the rise, a strain of the Red Lung virus that wiped out most of humanity generations ago-and this strain is deadly to humans and vampires alike. The only hope for a cure lies in the secrets Kanin carries, if Allie can get to him in time.

Allison thought that immortality was forever. But now, with eternity itself hanging in the balance, the lines between human and monster will blur even further, and Allie must face another choice she could never have imagined having to make.

3. Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky #2) by Veronica Rossi

Aria has struggled to build a life for herself outside Reverie. It hasn’t been easy adjusting to life in the wilderness but that struggle has been worth it with Perry by her side.

But Perry has other challenges. His people are looking to him for answers. Answers about what happened to his nephew and what’s happening to their world. And they don’t trust the privileged Aria, one of the enemy, in their midst.

Soon he’ll be forced to choose between the tribe that looks to him for leadership and the girl that looks to him for love.

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4. Tiger’s Quest (The Tiger Saga #2) by Colleen Houck

Back in Oregon, Kelsey tries to pick up the pieces of her life and push aside her feelings for Ren. But danger lurks around the corner, forcing her to return to India where she embarks on a second quest–this time with Ren’s dark, bad-boy brother Kishan, who has also fallen prey to the Tiger’s Curse. Fraught with danger, spellbinding dreams, and choices of the heart, TIGER’S QUEST brings the trio one step closer to breaking the spell that binds them.

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I’m really looking forward to reading all ten books on this list, fingers crossed I will manage to read all of them before the end of autumn – although I’m not holding my breath 😉 Only two of my choices are the first books in a series, so I guess that makes autumn my sequel season.

Those were my Top Ten Books On My Autmun 2013 TBR List. What books would are you looking forward to this autumn? Let me know in the comments below, or link back to your Top Ten post so I can see what makes your list.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They’d love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

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This weeks Top Ten topic is …

Top Ten Six Books I Would Love To See As A Movie/TV Show

Hmm… this has never occurred to me before. I have seen a couple of films/tv programmes that started out as books and some have worked and some have not. I know this is supposed to be set in an “ideal world” so here goes…

1. The Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa (YA)

A film…possibly a mini-series. I’m not really sure.

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2. The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (YA)

This I think could work as a film.

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3. The Curse Workers by Holly Black (YA)

This could be a tv mini-series I think. There’s a lot of potential with the magic and the mob tones.

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4. The Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce (MG/YA)

I think that this quartet has the potential to be a great film. It would be really amazing to see it on the big screen – to watch the epic battles and the magic.

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5. The Hollows by Kim Harrison

Harrison’s world building is amazing. It would be kinda cool to see this as a tv series. There are so many brilliant characters and the plots are awesome and I think could be adapted well for the tv.

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6. Any of the historical novels by Julia Quinn

These would, no doubt, make either an awesome mini-series. Quite a lot of her novels are interlocking, at least the characters are, so I think it would kinda work as a tv programme.

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I’m sure there are more that could be converted into brilliant tv programmes/films BUT I cannot think of any more right now. To be honest, I’m not that keen on turning any of them into anything but books in real life but hypothetically those would be my choices.

Those were my Top Six Books I Would Love To See As A Movie/TV Show. What books would you like to see as films/tv programmes? Let me know in the comments below, or link back to your Top Ten post so I can see what makes your list.

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Welcome

Hi I’m Becki, welcome to The Flutterby Room. Thank you for stopping by. We have reviews for all sorts of books, and a few unboxings of book based boxes.
I have an MA English from the Open University, and a BA (Hons) English with Creative Writing from University College Falmouth. The Flutterby Room is the place where I share my love of books and reading. I try to give spoiler free reviews.